Use of oxides of manganese in electrodepositable compositions



United States Patent M US. Cl. 204-481 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Oxides of manganese are dispersed in an aqueous bath comprising ionically solubilized synthetic vehicle resin, forming an electrolyte to produce black or dark-colored electrodeposits upon an article made the electrode in an electrolytic cell and to produce a drying effect in the deposited film.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 591,708, filed Nov. 3, 1966, now abandoned.

This invention relates to novel, pigmented electrodepositable compositions. More particularly, this invention relates to the use of oxides of manganese to produce black or dark-colored electrodepositable compositions, and which in some cases also produce a drying eifect in the deposited film.

Recently, electrodeposition has been achieving wide industrial acceptance as a method of applying protective coatings. The coatings achieved have excellent properties for many applications and electrodeposition results in a coating which does not run or wash ofi during baking. Virtually any conductive substrate may be coated by electrodeposition. The most commonly employed substrates include the base metals such as iron, steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, brass, tin, nickel and chromium, as well as other metals and pretreated metals; impregnated paper or other substrates rendered conductive under the conditions employed may also be coated.

Electrodeposition of certain materials, including waxes, natural and synthetic resins, have been known in the art for some time. Likewise, a recent US. Pat. No. 3,230,162, describes a method and compositions presently utilized in the field of automotive finishing and industrial coatings.

While electrodeposition is in many respects advantageous compared to ordinary application methods, problems have arisen in the fact that carbon black, universally-used black pigment, displays several undesirable characteristics in electrodeposition composition. While carbon black pigments successfuly deposit in electrodeposition compositions at low voltages, at higher voltages (for example, about about 200 volts), a problem of pigskinning is encountered. Pig-skinning may be defined as a rough uneven surface as compared to the normal desirable smooth surface obtained in a conventional paint formulation.

It has now been found that the use of oxides of manganese as a pigment substitute for carbon black produces black or dark brown films which may be coated at higher voltages to produce smooth films. Pig-skinning seems to be an inherent characteristic of carbon black which is not encountered with the oxides of manganese. The vehicle resin plays little part in producing this effect, and improvement is seen in substituting manganese for carbon black in virtually every electrodepositable composition.

3,531,391 Patented Sept. 29, 1970 Likewise, it has been found that the oxides of manganese promote the drying of coating films containing siccative oils vehicles, i.e., films comprising vehicles which contain drying oils or semi-drying oils.

The oxides of manganese broadly may be employed in the compositions of the invention. Examples of such oxides includes mangano-manganic oxide, Mn O manganese sesquioxide Mn O and manganese dioxide MnO' Since the oxides of manganese exist in nature, as well as being obtainable in a relatively chemically pure state, and since these materials are chiefly oxides of manganese and display a black or dark brown color, it is Within the scope of the invention to utilize these naturally-ocurring mineral oxides in the compositions of the invention. The chief oxide minerals of manganese include pyrolusite, psilomelane, manganite and hausmannate.

In the electrodeposition process, the articles to be electrocoated are immersed in an aqueous dispersion of a solubilized, ionized, film-forming material such as a synthetic organic vehicle resin. An electric current is passed between the article to be coated serving as an electrode and a counter-electrode to cause deposition of a coating of the vehicle resin on the articles. The articles are then withdrawn from the bath, usually rinsed and then the coating either air-dried or baked in the manner of a conventional finish.

A number of electrodepositable resins are known and can be employed to provide the electrodepositable compositions which may be treated by the process of this invention. Virtually any water-soluble, water-dispersible or water-emulsifiable polyacid or polybasic resinous material can be electrodeposited and, if film-forming, provides coatings which may be suitable for certain purposes. Any such electrodespositable composition is included among those which can be employed in the present invention, even though the coating obtained might not be entirely satisfactory for certain specalized uses.

Presently, the most widely used electrodeposition vehicle resins are synthetic polycarboxylic acid resinous materials which include a reaction product or adduct of the drying oil or semi-drying oil fatty acid ester with a dicarboxylic acid or anhydride. By drying oil or semi-drying oil fatty acid esters are meant esters of fatty acids which are or can be derived from drying oils or semi-drying oils, or from such sources as tall oil. Such fatty acids are characterized by containing at least a portion of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Preferably, the drying oil or semidrying oil per se is employed. Generally, drying soils are those oils which have an iodine value of above about 130, and the semi-drying oils are those which have an iodine value of about to 130, as determined by method ASTM-Dl467-57T. Examples of such esters include linseed oil, soya oil, safllower oil, perilla oil, tung oil, oiticica oil, poppy-seed oil, sunflower oil, tall oil esters, walnut oil, dehydrated castor oil, herring oil, menhaden oil, sardine oil, and the like.

Also included among such esters are those in which the esters themselves are modified with other acids, including saturated, unsaturated or aromatic acids such as butyric acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid or benzoic acid, or an anhydride of such an acid. One inexpensive acid material which has been found to produce good results in many instances is rosin, which is composed of chiefly abiotic acid and other resin acids. The acid-modified esters are made by transesterification of the ester, as by forming a dior monoglyceride by alcoholysis, followed by esterification with the acid. They may also be obtained by reacting oil acids with a polyol and reacting the acid with the partial ester. In addition to glycerol, alcoholysis can be carried out using other polyols such as trimethylolpropane, pentaerythritol, sorbitol and the like. If desired, the esters can also be modified with monomers such as cyclopentadiene or styrene and the modified esters produced thereby can be utilized herein. Similarly, other esters of unsaturated fatty acids, for example, those prepared by the esterification of tall oil fatty acids with polyols, are also useful.

Also included within the terms drying oil fatty acid esters as set forth herein are alkyd resins prepared utilizing semi-drying or drying oils; esters of epoxides with such fatty acids, including esters of diglycidyl ethers of polyhydric compounds as well as other mono-, diand polyepoxides, semi-drying or drying oil fatty acid esters of polyols, such as butanediol, trimethylolethane, trimethylpropane, trirnethylolhexane, pentaerythritol, and the like; and semi-drying or drying fatty acid esters of resinous polyols such as homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic alcohols, e.g., allyl alcohol or methallyl alcohol, including copolymers of such alcohols with styrene or other ethylenically unsaturated monomers or with non-oil modified alkyd resins containing free hydroxyl groups.

Any alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid or anhydride can be employed to produce the reaction products described herein. These include such anhydrides as maleic anhydride, itaconic anhydride, and other similar anhydrides. Instead of the anhydride, there may also be used ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids which form anhydrides, for example, maleic acid or itaconic acid These acids appear to function by first forming the anhydride. Fumaric acid, which does not form an anhydride, may also be utilized, although in many instances it requires more stringent conditions than the unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydrides or acids which form such anhydrides. Mixtures of any of the above acids or anhydrides may also be utilized. Generally speaking, the anhydride or acid employed contains from 4 to 12 carbon atoms, although longer chain compounds can be used if so desired.

While the exact nature of the reaction product of the acid or anhydride with the fatty acid ester is not known with certainty, it is believed that the reaction takes place by addition of the unsaturated linkage of the acid or an hydride to the carbon chain of the oil. In the case of nonconjugated double bonds, such as are present in linseed oil, the reaction may take place with the methylene group adjacent the non-conjugated double bond. In the case of oils having conjugated double bonds, such as tung oil, the reaction is probably of the Diels-Alder type.

The reaction between the acid or acid anhydride and the drying oil or semi-drying oil fatty acid ester takes place readily without the use of a catalyst and at temperatures in the range of about 100 C. to about 300 or higher, with the reaction generally being carried out between about 200 C. and about 250 C.

While the reaction products can be comprised solely of adducts of the fatty acid ester and the dicarboxylic acid or anhydride, in many instances it is desirable to incorporate into the reaction product another ethylenically unsaturated monomer. The use of such monomer often produces films and coatings which are harder and more resistant to abrasion and which may have other similar desirable characteristics. For this purpose, any ethylenically unsaturated monomer can be employed. Examples of such monomers include monoolefinic and diolefinic hydrocarbons such as styrene, alpha-methyl styrene, alpha-butyl styrene, vinyl toluene, butadiene-1,3-isoprene and the like; halogenated monoolefinic and diolefinic hydrocarbons, such as alpha-chlorostyrene, alpha-bromostyrene, chlorobutadiene and similar compounds; esters of organic and inorganic acids, such as vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl 2-chlorobenzoate, methyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, heptyl acrylate, decyl methacrylate, methyl crotonate, isopropenyl acetate, vinyl alphabrornopropionate, vinyl alpha-chlorovalerate, allyl chloride, allyl cyanide, allyl bromide, allyl acetate, dimethyl itaconate, dibutyl itaconate, ethyl alpha-chloroacrylate, isopropyl alpha-bromoacrylate, decyl alpha-chloroacrylate,

dimethyl maleate, diethyl maleate, dimethyl fumarate, diethyl fumarate, and diethyl glutaconate; organic nitriles, such as acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, ethacrylonitrile, and the like.

As is apparent from the above discussion and the examples set forth, which, of course, do not include all of the ethylenically unsaturated monomers which may be employed, any such monomer can be utilized. The preferred class of monomers can be described by the formula:

R1C-o=1t where R and R are hydrogen or alkyl, R is hydrogen, alkyl or carboxyalkyl and R is cyano, aryl, alkyl, alkenyl, aralkyl, alkaryl, alkoxycarbonyl or aryloxycarbonyl. The preferred compounds are styrene, substituted styreues, alkyl acrylates, alkyl methacrylates, diolefins, and acrylonitrile.

The reaction of the fatty acid ester, the acid or anhydride or any additional monomer or monomers can be carried out concurrently, that is, with each of the components of the reaction product being mixed together and heated to reaction temperature. However, because the monomer and the acid or anhydride are often quite reactive with each other, the oil or other fatty acid ester is preferably first reacted with the acid or acid anhydride, and then this product is subsequently reacted with any ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomers employed. For example, a reaction product of linseed oil, maletic anhydride and styrene is made by first reacting maletic anhydride with linseed oil and then reacting the maleinized oil with styrene. When the process is carried out in this manner, the reaction of the additional monomer with the initial reaction product is usually carried out at somewhat lower temperatures, usually between about 25 C. and 200 C.

The proportions of each of the components going to make up the reaction product are ordinarily not critical. Generally speaking, between about 10 percent and about 45 percent by Weight of the unsaturated acid or acid anhydride is reacted with from about 55 percent to about 90 percent by weight of fatty acid ester. In the presently preferred products, usually 15 percent to 30 percent of anhydride and 70 percent to percent of oil ester are employed. If an ethylenically unsaturated monomer is incorporated in the reaction product, it is typically used in amounts between about 5 percent and about 35 percent by weight, based upon the total weight of acid or anhydride and ester, with between 10 percent and 25 percent being used in those products preferred at present. Thus, in most instances the total composition of the reaction product may comprise from about 35 percent to about percent by weight of the fatty acid ester and from about 10 percent to about 65 percent of the acid or anhydride and other monomer combined, with between about 6 percent and about 45 percent of the acid or anhydride always present.

The products produced in the above manner are comprised of polymeric chains of moderate length. The average molecular weight of the products to be used in electrodeposition should be low enough so that its flow characteristics at high solids are maintained, but high enough to provide adequate throwing power. The desirable molecular weight levels vary with the coating composition and conditions employed. Generally those products having molecular weights of up to 10,000 or somewhat higher have given the best results.

Neutralization of these products is accomplished by reaction of all or part of the dicarboxylic anhydride groups with a base, usually an amine. Usually up to about half of such groups are neutralized in unesterified adducts; the partially esterified products are often neutralized to a greater extent, based on unesterfied acid groups remaming.

It is preferred in certain instances that the neutralization reaction be carried out in such a manner that amido groups are attached to part of the carbonyl carbon atoms derived from the dicarboxylic acid or anhydride. By amido groups are meant trivalent nitrogen atoms attached with one valence to the carbonyl carbon atom with the other two valences being linked to hydrogen or carbon atoms in the same or different organic radicals. Amido groups are formed, for example, when the reaction With the neutralizing base is carried out with a water solution of ammonia, a primary amine or a secondary amine, or when the product is reacted with such an amine in the absence of water.

Compositions within this general class are described in US. Pats. Nos. 3,366,563 and 3,369,983.

Another vehicle comprises the fatty acid ester, unsaturated acid or anhydride reaction products and any additional unsaturated modifying materials (as described above) which are further reacted with the polyol.

Essentially any polyol can be employed, but diols are preferred. When higher polyols, such as trimethylol propane, glycerol, pentaerythritol and the like are utilized, they are employed in small amounts, or in conjunction with the diol, or in the presence of a monohydric alcohol, and are used with adducts having a relatively low proportion of acidic component. The various diols that can be employed include, for example, ethylene glycol; 1,2- propylene glycol; 1,4-butanediol; 1,5-pentanediol; 2- methyl-Z-n-propyl-1,3-propanediol, and similar higher or substituted alkylene glycols, containing up to about 20 carbon atoms or more. Glycol ethers may also be employed, such as diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, poly (oxytetramethylene)glycols, and the like, those having molecular weights of up to about 400 being most useful. Water-insoluble diols are often preferable, and especially desirable water-dispersed compositions for electrodeposition are obtained using 2,3-bis(4-hydroxycyclohexyl) propane (which has given the best results), neopentyl glycol, 1, l '-isopropylidene-bis- (p-phenyleneoxy) di-2-propanol, and similar diols.

The proportions of polyol and ester-anhydride adduct that are employed depend upon various factors, but are, in general, limited only by the need to avoid gelation of the product. The total functionality of the reactants is a guide to determining the optimum proportions to be employed, and in most instances should not be greater than about 2. By total functionality is meant the total number of anhydride and hydroxyl groups divided by the total number of molecules of polyol and adduct. The numbers involved are, of course, average figures, and obviously many factors are taken into consideration in determining functionality, these being well-known in the art. When monomeric constituents are used, their functionality is relatively easily determined; but with resinous products such as the adducts herein, not only the proportion of anhydride in the adduct but also the bodying effect due to heating and similar considerations should be taken into account. In any event, one can easily determine whether any particular combination of reactants results in a gelled product, and as mentioned above, gelation can often be reversed by adding a monohydric alcohol.

In most instances, the reaction products herein are made from about 65 percent to about 98 percent of esteranhydride adduct and about 2 percent to about 35 percent of a diol, these percentages being by Weight. However, it will be understood that depending upon the molecular Weights of the reactants, varying amounts within these ranges or outside these ranges are employed with particular reaction systems.

In many instances, only part of the anhydride groups of the adduct, e.g., about percent, are reacted with the polyol. Of those anhydride groups reacted, it is preferred that only one of the carboxyl groups is esterified in each instance. This is relatively easily accomplished because the half-ester of the dicarboxylic acid anhydride moieties present is preferentially obtained before the full ester begins to be formed. In addition, production of the full ester generally requires more stringent conditions, such as higher temperatures, even when an excess of hydroxyl groups are present. Thus, While it is not necessary that each anhydride form the half-ester and some of the dicarboxylic groups may be fully esterified, in actual practice the half-esters of the dicarboxylic acid moieties are usually obtained.

The reaction with the polyol is ordinarily carried out by admixing the initial reaction product of the fatty ester, the acid or anhydride, and any additional monomer with the polyol. The reaction at room temperature is quite slow, and thus it is preferred to heat the reaction mixture moderately, i.e., to about C. or higher. The preferred maximum temperature is that it which the full ester begins to be formed, which varies with the particular polyol and which is in most cases about 180 C., but higher temperatures up to about 300 C., can be used if desired, for example, when the number of hydroxyl groups present does not exceed the number of anhydride groups present.

When the reaction is carried out as described, the product contains a substantial part of the Original acidity derived from the dicarboxylic acid or anhydride; ordinarily the product should have an acid number of at least about 20. To provide a water-dispersed product, such as is used in electrodeposition processes, at least part of the remaining acidic groups are neutralized by reaction of the partially-esterified product with a base.

The polyol reaction products are more fully described in application Ser. No. 450,205, filed Apr. 22, 1965.

Another type of electrodepositable coating composition which gives desirable results are the Water-dispersible coating compositions comprising at least partially neutralized interpolymers of hydroxyalkyl esters of unsaturated carboxylic acids, unsaturated carboxylic acids and at least one other ethylenically unsaturated monomer. These are employed in the composition along with an amine-aldehyde condensation product, with the interpolymer usually making from about 50 percent to about percent by weight of the resinous composition.

The acid monomer of the interpolymer is usually acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, but other ethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic and dicarboxylic acids, such as ethacrylic acid, crotonic acid, maleic acid, or other acids of up to about 6 carbon atoms can also be employed. The hydroxyalkyl ester is usually hydroxyethyl or hydroxypropyl acrylate or methacrylate, but also desirable are the various hydroxyalkyl esters of the above acids having, for example, up to about 5 carbon atoms in the hydroxyalkyl radical. Monoor diesters of the dicarboxylic acids mentioned are included. Ordinarily, the acid and ester each comprise between about one percent and about 20 percent by Weight of the interpolymer, with the remainder being made up of one or more other copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers. The most often used are the alkyl acrylates, such as ethyl acrylate; the alkyl methacrylates, such as methyl methacrylate; and the vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons, such as styrene, but others can be utilized.

The above interpolymer is at least partially neutralized by reaction with a base as described above; at least about 10 percent and preferably 50 percent or more of the acidic groups are neutralized, and this can be carried out either before or after the incorporation of the interpolymer in the coating composition.

The amine-aldehyde condensation products included in these compositions are, for example, condensation products of melamine, benzoguanamine, or urea with formaldehyde, although other amine-containing amines and amides, including triazines, diazines, triazoles, quanadines, guanamines and alkyl and aryl-substituted derivatives of such compounds can be employed, as can other aldehydes,

7 such as acetaldehyde. The alkylol groups of the products can be etherified by reaction with an alcohol, and the products utilized can be water-soluble or organic solventsoluble.

Electrodeposition compositions comprising the above interpolymers and an amine-aldehyde resin are more fully described in US. Pat. No. 3,403,088.

Still another electrodepositable composition of desirable properties comprises an alkyd-amine vehicle, that is, a vehicle containing an alkyd resin and an amine-aldehyde resin. A number of these are known in the art and may be employed. Preferred are water-dispersible alkyds such as those in which a conventional alkyd (such as a glyceryl phthalate resin), which may be modified with drying oil fatty acids, is made with a high acid number (e.g., 50 to 70) and solubilized with ammonia or an amine, or those in which a surface active agent, such as a polyalkylene glycol (e.g., Carbowax), is incorporated. High acid number alkyds are also made by employing a tricarboxylic acid, such as trimellitic acid or anhydride, along with a polyol in making the alkyd.

The above alkyds are combined with an aminealdehyde resin, such as those described hereinabove. Preferred are water-soluble condensation products of melamine or a similar triazine with formaldehyde with subsequent reaction with an alkanol. An example of such a product is hexakis(methoxymethyl)rnelamine.

The alkyd-amine compositions are dispersed in water and they ordinarily contain from about 10 percent to about 50 percent by weight of amine resin based on the total resinous components.

Yet another electrodepositable composition of desirable properties comprises mixed esters of a resinous polyol. These resin esters comprise mixed esters of an unsaturated fatty acid adduct. Generally the polyols which are utilized with these resins are essentially any polyol having a molecular weight between about 500 and 5000. Such resinous polyols include those resinous materials containing oxirane rings which can be opened in, prior to, or during the esterification reaction to provide an apparent hydroxy site. The vehicle resins are formed by reacting a portion of the hydroxyl groups of the polyol with the fatty acid, the ratio of the reactions being such that at least an average of one hydroxyl group per mole cule of the polyol remains unreacted. The remaining functionality is then reacted with the unsaturated fatty acid adduct of an olefinically unsautrated dicarboxylic anhydride, such as maleic anhydride, this second esterification reaction being conducted under conditions so that esterification occurs through the anhydride ring, thereby introducing free acid groups into the molecule. Mixed acids of the class described are disclosed in Belgian Pat. No. 641,642, as Well as in copending application Ser. No. 568,144, filed July 27, 1966.

In order to produce an electrodepositable composition, it is necessary to at least partially neutralize the acid groups present with a base in order to disperse the resin in the electrodeposition bath. Inorganic bases such as metal hydroxides, especially potassium hydroxide, can be used. There may likewise be used ammonia or organic bases, especially water-soluble amines, such as, for example, the mono-, diand tri-lower alkyl amines such as methylamine, ethylamine, propylamine, butylamine, dimethylamine, diethylamine, dipropylamine, dibutylamine, m methyl butylamine, triethylamine, tributylamine, methyldiethylamine, dimethylbutylamine and the like; cyclic amines such as morpholine, pyrrolidine, piperidine; diamines such as hydrazine, methylhydrazine, 2,3-toluene diamine, ethyl diamine and piperizine and substituted amines such as hydroxylamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine, butanolamine, hexanolamine and methyldiethanol amine, octanolamine, diglycolamine and other polyglycol amines, triethanolamine and methylethanola'mine, namino-ethanolamine and methyldiethanola-mine and poly- 8 amines such as diethylene triamine, triethylene tetramine, hexamethylene tetramine.

There may be present in the electrodepositable composition in addition to the oxides of manganese of the invention, any of the conventional types of pigments employed in the art, for example, iron oxide, lead silico chromate, strontium chromate, carbon black, titanium dioxide, talc, barium sulfate and the like, as well as combinations of these and similar pigments. Color pigments such as cadmium yellow, cadmium red, phthalocyanine blue, chrome yellow, toluidine red, hydrated iron oxide, and the like, may be included if desired. There is often incorporated into the pigment composition a dispersing or surface-active agent. If such a surface-active agent is used, it should be the non-ionic or anionic type in the case of polyacid vehicles or a combination of these types. In the case of polybasic resins non-ionic or cationic agents are preferred. Usually the pigment and surfaceactive agent, if any, are ground together in a portion of the vehicle, or alone, to make a paste and this is blended with the vehicle to produce a coating composition.

In many instances, it is preferred to add to the bath in order to aid dispersibility, viscosity and/ or film quality, a non-ionic modifier or solvent. Examples of such materials are aliphatic, naphthenic and aromatic hydrocarbons or mixtures of the same; monoand dialkyl ethers of glycols, pine oil and other solvents compatible with the resin system. The presently preferred modifier is 4- methoxy-4-methylpentanone-2 (Pent-Oxone).

There may also be included in the coating composition, if desired, additives such as antioxidants. For example, orthoamylphenol or cresol. It is especially advantageous to include such antioxidants in coating compositions which are used in baths which may be exposed to atmospheric oxygen at elevated temperatures and with agitation over extended periods of time.

Other additives which may be included in coating compositions, if desired, include, for example, wetting agents such as petroleum sulfonates, sulfated fatty amines, or their amides, esters of sodium isothionates, alkyl phenoxypolyethylene alkanols, or phosphate esters including ethoxylated alkylphenol phosphates. Other additives which may be employed include anti-foaming agents, suspending agents, bactericides, and the like.

In formulating the coating composition, ordinary tap water may be employed. However, such water may contain a relatively high level of metals and cations which, while not rendering the process inoperative, these cations may result in variations of properties of the baths when used in electrodeposition. Thus, in common practice, deionized water, i.e., water from which free ions have been removed by the passage through ion exchange resins, is invariably used to make up coating compositions of the instant invention.

In addition to the electrodepositable vehicle resins described above, there may be present in the electrodepositable composition other resinous materials which are noncarboxylic acid materials. For example, there may be added up to about percent by weight of an aminealdehyde condensation product. Examples of such aminealdehyde condensation products employed are aldehyde condensation products of melamine, urea, acetoguanamine or a similar compound and may be Water-soluble or organic solvent-soluble. Generally, the aldehyde employed is formaldehyde, although useful products can be made from other aldehydes such as acetaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, acrolein, benzaldehyde, furfural and others. Condensation products of melamine or urea are the most common and are preferred, but products of other amines and amides in which at least one amido group is present can be employed.

For example, such condensation products can be produced with triazines, diazines, triazoles, guanadines, guanamines, and alkyl and aryl-substituted derivatives of such compounds, including alkyl-substituted and aryl-substituted cyclic ureas, and alkyl and aryl-substituted melmines. Examples of such compounds are: N,N'-dimethyl urea, benzyl urea, N,N'-ethylene urea, diazine dia'mide, formaguanamine, benzoguanamine, ammeline, 2-chloro- 4,6 diamino-1,3,5-triazine, 3,5-diaminotriazole, 4,6-diaminopyrrimidine, 2,4,6-triphenyltriaminod,3,5-triazine, and the like.

These aldehyde condensation products contain methylol groups or similar alkylol groups, depending upon the particular aldehyde employed. If desired, these methylol groups can be etherified by reaction with an alcohol. Various alcohols are employed for this purpose, including essentially any monohydric alcohol, although the preferred alcohols are methanol, butanol, and similar lower alkanols.

The amine-aldehyde condensation products are produced in a manner well known in the art, using acidic or basic catalysts and varying conditions of time and temperature. The aldehyde is often employed as a solution in water or alcohol, and the condensation, polymerization and etherification reactions may be carried out either sequentially or simultaneously.

Other base-solubilized polyacids which may be employed as electrodeposition vehicles include those taught in US. Pat. No. 3,382,165, which is incorporated herein by reference, wherein the acid groups rather than being solely polycarboxylic acid groups contain mineral acid groups such as phosphonic, sulfonic, sulfate, and phosphate groups.

The process of the instant invention is equally applicable to cationic type vehicle resins, that is, polybases solubilized by means of an acid, for example, an amineterminated polyamide or an acrylic polymer solubilized with acetic acid. One such class of materials is described in British Pat. 1,132,267. Another case of such cationic polymers is described in copending application Ser. No. 772,366, filed Oct. 28, 1968.

In a manner similar to the anionic resins described above, the cationic resins may be formulated with adjuvants, such as pigments, solvents, surfactants, crosslinking resins, and the like.

The polyacids are anionic in nature and are dispersed or dissolved in water with alkaline materials such as amines or alkaline metal hydroxides and, when subjected to an electric current, they migrate to the anode. The polybasic resins, solubilized by acids, are cationic in character and when these resins are water dispersed or solubilized with an acid such as acetic acid, the material deposits on the cathode under an electric current.

The oxides of manganese are introduced into the compositions of the invention in the same manner as conventional pigments are dispersed. Preferably, the oxides of manganese are reduced to a small particle size, usually less than about 25 microns and, more preferably, below about microns before being added to the vehicle. If large particles of oxide are introduced, the grinding will require more time and perhaps a filtration step to remove oversized particles remaining.

The oxides are dispersed by grinding, usually in th presence of at least a portion of the vehicle resin and, in most cases, a surfactant or dispersing agent. Grinding is accomplished by the use of ball mills, sand mills, Cowles dissolvers, continuous attritors, until the pigment has been reduced to the desired size and, preferably, has been wet by and dispersed in the vehicle resin and/or dispersing agent.

In the case of polyacid vehicle resins, preferably the grinding is conducted in an aqueous dispersion of neutralized resin having a pH above about 7 and preferably about 9.0. The amount of water present in such an aqueous grind is not critical; however, commonly the resin employed in the grinding step is about 30 to 70 percent solids. The use of more water merely reduces the effective capacity of the mill and while less water can be em- D. H. Parker, Principles of Surface Coating Technology,

Interscience Publishers, New York (1965) R. L. Yates, Electropainting, Robert Draper, Ltd., Teddington, England (1966) H. F. Payne, Organic Coating Technology, vol. II, Wiley & Sons, New York (1961).

It has-been found especially important to regulate the ratio of pigment to the vehicle in compositions which are used in electrodepositable processes. In most instances the most desirable coatings are obtained when the coating composition contains a pigment-to-vehicle ratio of not lower than 0.08 to 1 and preferably not higher than 2 to 1. If the composition has too high a pigment-to-vehicle ratio, the electrodeposited films may exhibit very poor flow characteristics and, in many instances, are non-continuous and have poor film appearance.

In the electrodeposition process, a process welldescribed in the art, the aqueous bath containing the composition is placed in contact with an electrically conductive anode, and an electrically conductive cathode. The coating is deposited upon the appropriate electrode so that the conductive substrate to be coated is used as that electrode. Upon passage of electric current (normally direct current) between the anode and the cathode, while in contact with the bath containing the coating composition, an adherent film of the coating composition is deposited on the appropriate electrode.

The conditions at which the electrodeposition process is carried out are those conventionally used in electrodeposition. The applied voltage may vary greatly and can be as low as, for example, one volt, or as high, for example, as 500 volts or higher. It is typically between 50 and 350 volts. The current tends to decrease during electrodeposition and the film become electrically insulative and cause the deposition of film to be self-terminating at any particular voltage.

The electrode coated may be any electrically conductive metal, such as iron, steel, aluminum, galvanized steel, phosphatized steel, zinc, and the like.

The concentrations of the coating composition in the aqueous bath used in electrodeposition is not critical and relatively high levels of coating composition can be used. However, it is ordinarily desirable to use a low concentration of coating composition since this is one of the benefits inherent in the system. Baths containing as little as one percent by weight of the coating composition in water can be employed. In general practice, the baths used usually contain between 5 and about 15 percent by weight of paint solids. Generally it is preferred not to use more than 20 or 25 percent by weight of the coating composition in the bath, although there is no technical reason Why films cannot be produced in even higher levels. Once the film is deposited upon the substrate and the substrate removed from the bath, the article is treated as one which has been coated in the conventional painting operation. The article may be air-dried, or, usually, it is heated in an oven or by some other appropriate means to bake or dry the film. When this is done, the baking temperatures of about 275 F. to about 375 F. for 60 to 10 minutes are usually employed.

Throw power, the ability of an electrodeposition material to coat thin areas remote or shielded from the cathode, is measured by taking a strip of 5 mil phosphatized steel stock, 14.5 inches long by 0.5 inch Wide, and punching the center of a 0.31 diameter hole 0.75 inch from one end of the strip and centering it in a 14 inch section of standard gas conduit (0.75 inch standard diameter), the upper 0.5 inch of which is partially cut off to allow bolting to an electrode support by means of a 0.31 inch diameter hole, the center of which is 0.5 inch distance from the upper end of the tube. The strip is inserted into the tube and both are fastened to electrode holders with a wing nut. The lower end of the strip is flush with the end of the tube. The strip-tube electrode assembly is connected to the positive terminal and the metal coating tank to the negative terminal. The height of the coating tank should permit immersion of the elec trodes to a depth of 10 inches. The exact clearances between the electrode assembly and the bottom and sides of the tank are not critical. In the tests conducted in the examples, the tank was a circular stainless steel tank with an internal diameter of approximately 5 inches and the bottom of the pipe was at least an inch above the bottom of the tank. Unless otherwise stated, the electrodeposition conditions were those which give 0.8 mil film thickness on a panel in two minutes. A power test was likewise conducted for two minutes unless otherwise specified. After coating, this strip is rinsed and baked at the scheduled prescribed for the coating and then slightly rubbed with a soft pencil eraser at the feathered edge of the baked coating of the strip. The length of the coating remaining on the strip is measured and recorded as the relative throw power.

Acid values are conducted in the instant specification and were conducted in accordance with ASTM standard method 55-54 and equivalent. An acid value may be defined as the milligrams of KOH necessary to neutralize a one-gram sample of the resin composition being tested. This method titrates only one half of the anhydride carboxyls.

The salt spray tests utilized in the examples are essentially equivalent to ASTM Test D1 17-62 and involve exposing a scribed panel to a fog of a salt solution comprising 5 parts by weight salt and 95 parts distilled water at a relative humidity of 100 and a temperature of 95 F.

The saponification test conducted in the examples involves placing the panel to be tested in a A normal sodium hydroxide solution at 100 F.

The invention is further described in conjunction with the following examples, which are to be considered illustive rather than limiting. All parts and percentages in the examples and throughout this specification are by weight unless otherwise stated.

EXAMPLE A A vehicle composition was produced by heating a 4-to-1 weight mixture of linseed oil and maleic anhydride under an inert gas blanket at 510 F. for 5 hours to obtain a resin having a final acid value of about 80 and a Brookfield viscosity of 90,000 centipoises.

EXAMPLE B A maleinized tall oil fatty acid adduct was prepared by charging into a reaction vessel fitted with agitator, thermometer, inert gas inlet and reflux condenser, 784 parts of maleic anhydride and 2280 parts of tall oil fatty acids. The air in the reactor was displaced with an inert gas blanket and the contents heated to 80 C. to melt the maleic anhydride. The reaction mixture was then agitated and heated slowly to about 225 C. in about two hours, then to 260 C. in an additional hour. The reaction was held at 260 C. for an additional three hours. The reaction product had a viscosity of 5,000 centipoises, and an acid value determined in alcoholic KOH of 255.

12 EXAMPLE 0 Into a reactor equipped with an agitator, thermometer, inert gas tube, reflux condenser and water trap were added 1600 parts of a styrene-allyl alcohol copolymer having the repeating structure:

' on-ong-on-onz (llHz on having a molecular weight of approximately 1600, equivalent weight in the range of 285 to 315; 1070 parts of tall oil fatty acid and 60 parts of xylene. The reaction mixture was heated with agitation and slow inert gas sparge to 250 C. and held until an acid value of approximately 5 was reached, which was approximately 4 /2 hours after reaching 25 0 C. The water of esterification was removed by the water trap. The reaction mixture was then vigorously sparged with inert gas to remove the xylene and cooled to C. There was then added, with stirring, 480 parts of the resin produced in Example B. The reaction mixture was heated to 145 C. and held at that temperature for 45 minutes. The reaction mixture was then cooled below C. and there was added with stirring 341 parts of Pent-Oxone. This resin mixture had a final acid value of 36 and a Brookfield viscosity of 52,000 centipoises.

EXAMPLE D Into a reactor equipped with a thermometer, inert gas inlet, water trap, condenser and agitator was added 217.5 parts of a hydrocarbon resin Piccodiene 9215, an unsaponifiable, unsaturated resin possessing an iodine value of about 180, a softening point of about 100 C., and a molecular weight between about 250 and 900, derived from the polymerization of cyclic, straight and branch chain olefins obtained from petroleum cracking and 345 parts of dehydrated castor oil. The above mixture was agitated under inert gas sparge and heated to 250 C. and held for about one hour to a Gardner-Holdt viscosity of T-U. The mixture was then cooled to 100 C., the inert gas sparge being maintained. There was then added 75 parts of maleic anhydride and the mixture heated to 225 C. without inert gas sparge. The temperature was held for about one hour to a Gardner-Holdt viscosity of V-W. The reaction mixture was then blanketed with inert gas and there was added 112.5 parts of raw castor oil. After 15 minutes of cooling, at a temperature of C., there Was added 80 parts of Pent-Oxone. The resin had a final acid value of 53 and a Brookfield viscosity of 85,000 centipoises.

EXAMPLE I An electrodepositable composition Was prepared as follows:

A pigment paste (Paste I) was formed by grinding the following in a steel ball mill:

Parts by weight Maleinized linseed oil adduct (Example A) 51.2 Diethylamine 5.1

The above mixture was stirred 45 minutes under cover and then there was added at room temperature:

Parts by weight Cresylic acid 0.5 Deionized water 51.2

After thorough mixing there Was added:

Deionized water 32.0 Dispersing agent (combination oil-soluble sulfonate non-ionic surfactantWitco 912) 3.5

After further mixing there was added:

Diethylamine 7.0 Deionized water 40.0

13 The pH was adjusted to 11.0 with diethylamine and there was added:

Parts by weight Manganese dioxide (MnO (325 mesh) 132.4 Strontium chromate 7.0

The mixing was continued and the pH was adjusted with diethylamine to 9.6. The above mixture was ground for five minutes in a steel ball mill and the pH adjusted to 9.1. The grinding was continued for 25 minutes to obtain a No. 7 Hegman grind gauge reading. There was then added 35 parts deionized water as a mill wash and the grinding was continued for 5 additional minutes. This was designated Paste I.

A solubilized vehicle (Resin I) was prepared as follows: Parts by weight Premix I Diethylamine 55.6 Deionized water 1392.0 Premix II- Vehicle resin of Example D 1284.0 Pent-Oxone 170.0 Cresylic acid 12.8

Premix II was added slowly to Premix I with stirring. There was then added:

Parts by Weight Deionized water 404.0

The electrodeposition composition was prepared as follows:

Parts by weight To solubilized Vehicle Resin I 806.9

there was added slowly, with stirring:

Paste I After thorough mixing, there was added:

Deionized water 2732.3

The bath composition was then filtered. The bath had a pH of 8.75.

The above composition was deposited on polished phos phatized steel panels at a bath temperature of 80 F., at a voltage of 320 volts for 3 minutes. A film thickness of 0.8 mil was obtained. The panels were baked at 360 F. for 25 minutes. The film appeared slightly patterned but was smooth. There was no salt spray failure after 14 days. The bath displayed a throw power of 6 /2 inches at 2 minutes and 7% inches at 3 minutes.

EXAMPLE II A composition was prepared as follows: A pigment paste (Paste II) was made by shaking the following mixture in a steel canister containing steel balls:

Parts by weight Tall oil fatty acid ester (as Example B) 69.5 Pent-Oxone (4-methoxy-4-methylpentanone-2) 8.0 Cresylic acid 0.6 The above was mixed thoroughly and then there was added:

Parts by weigh Triethylamine 4.7

Mixing was continued and there was added:

Deionized water 73.4

The mixture was adjusted to a pH of 9.25 with triethylamine. Then there was added with continuous mixing:

Parts by weight Dispersing agent (combination oil-soluble sulfonate non-ionic surfractantWitco 912) 2.5 Deionized water 30.0 Triethylamine 3.0 Under continuous agitation the pH was adjusted to 10.25 with triethylamine. Then there was added:

Parts by weight Manganese sesquioxide (325 mesh) 187.5 China clay 50.0 Strontium chromate 12.5

14 The milling was commenced and after 5 minutes the pH was adjusted with triethylamine to 9.8. There was then added:

Parts by weight Deionized water 23.5 Triethylamine 1.0

The shaking was continued an additional 30 minutes to obtain a maximum grind of 6% to 7 Hegman reading. There was added with continued shaking:

Parts by weight Deionized water 40.0

This was designated Paste II.

The electrodeposition primer was formulated as follows: A solubilized vehicle resin was prepared as follows:

Parts by weight Mixed ester vehicle resin-tall oil fatty ester (as in Example C) 304.6 Pent-Oxone (4-methoxy-4-methyl-pentanone-2) 35.3 Cresylic acid 2.7

The above was mixed thoroughly and then there was added:

Parts by weight Triethylamine 20.6

Mixing was continued and there was added:

Deionized water 322.1

and the pH of the mixture was adjusted to 9.25 with triethylamine.

To this solubilized vehicle resin was then added 179.8 parts by weight of pigment paste (Paste II), supra, and mixed thoroughly. Then there was added with continuous mixing:

- Parts by weight Deionized water 2984.9

EXAMPLE III A composition was prepared as follows:

A pigment paste (Paste III) was made by shaking the following mixture in a steel canister containing steel balls:

Parts by weight Premix I-- Diethylamine 4.4 Deionized water 95.6 Premix II- Hydrocarbon-castor oil-maleic resin (as in Example C) 99.2 Cresylic acid 0.8

Premix II was slowly added to Premix I under continuous agitation and the resulting mixture was agitated for an additional 10 minutes. Then there was added:

Parts by weight Dispersing agent (combination oil-soluble sulfonate non-ionic surfactant--Witco 912) 3.6 Deionized water 50.0 Diethylamine 2.0

The above was thoroughly mixed for 10 minutes and then there was added:

Parts by weight Manganese sesquioxide (325 mesh) 148 8 China clay 79.2 Strontium chromate 12.0

The pH was adjusted to 9.3 with diethylamine and then there was added under continuous mixing:

Parts by weight Diethylamine 1.0 Deionized water 50.0

The electrodeposition primer was formulated as follows: Two premixes were prepared as follows:

Premix I- Parts by weight Diethylamine 16.5 Deionized water 358.0 Premix lI- Hydrocarbon-castor oil-maleic resin (see EX- ample C) 371.3

Cresylic acid Premix II was slowly added to Premix I under continuous agitation. The resulting combined mixture of Premix I and Premix II was agitated for an additional minutes.

Then there was slowly added with continuous agitation 153.1 parts by weight of pigment paste (Paste 1]], supra) to the above premix mixture. There was added:

Parts by weight Deionized Water 2948.7

The pH was adjusted to 9.1 with diethylamine.

The above composition was deposited on polished phosphatized steel panels at a bath temperature of 78 F., at a voltage of 350 volts for 2 minutes. A film thickness of 0.85 mil was obtained. The panels were baked at 360 F. for 25 minutes. The films had an excellent appearance. After 250 hours salt spray exposure, a 3 mm. scribe liftage was observed.

The bath had a throw power of 5% inches at two minutes.

One outstanding feature of this invention is that in the case of vehicle resins which contain drying oil, the oxides of manganese function as a drier as well as an excellent pigment. Difiiculty, such as stability, has been encountered when conventional driers such as naphthanates and octoates have been added to an electrodeposition bath. The oxides of manganese promote drying of such vehicle resins without markedly increasing bath instability. This drying effect is demonstrated as follows:

EXAMPLE IV An electrodepositable composition was prepared as follows:

Pigment pastes (Paste IV and Paste V) were prepared by grinding the following mixtures in a steel ball mill:

Parts by weight Maleinized linseed oil adduct (as in Example A) 51.0 Diethylamine 8.0 Deionized Water 189.0

1 6 Electrodepositable compositions were formulated as follows:

Parts by Weight Vehicle resin of Example A 294.0 Diethylamine 27.9

The above was mixed under cover for 45 minutes at room temperature and there was then added:

Parts by weigh Cresylic acid 2.9 After mixing the above, the mixture was then thinned to one gallon, adding in one instance (Bath IV) grams of Paste IV, and in a second instance, 84 grams of Paste V.

Phosphatized steel panels were electrocoated with 0.7 mil of each of the above. The panels were then baked 30 minutes at 250 F. The manganese oxide-containing coating was substantially tack free, while the coating containing carbon black remained tacky.

Various other electrodepositable compositions, such as those hereinabove described, can be substituted for those of the examples. In the above and other tests, the general applicability of the composition and methods herein have been shown and it has been found that good results are attained using varying compositions, electrodeposition conditions and substrates.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, there are described above the invention and what are now considered its best embodiments; however, within the scope of the appended claims, it is to be understood that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a process for electrocoating an article serving as an electrode with a paint in an electric circuit comprising a bath of aqueous medium in electrical contact with an anode and a cathode, the improvement comprising dispersing in said bath a paint comprising an ionically solubilized synthetic organic vehicle resin having dispersed therein, in pigmentary form, an oxide of manganese.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the pigment-binder ratio is below about 1 to 1.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the oxide of manganese is selected from the group consisting of manganese dioxide and manganese sesquioxide.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein the pigment-binder ratio is below about 1 to 1.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the vehicle resin comprises a base-solubilized synthetic polycarboxylic acid vehicle resin.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein the pigment-binder ratio is below about 1 to 1.

7. A method as in claim 5 wherein the vehicle resin comprises a maleinized drying oil fatty acid ester.

8. A method as in claim 5 wherein the oxide of manganese is selected from the group consisting of manganese dioxide and manganese sesquioxide.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein the pigment-binder ratio is below about 1 to 1.

10. A method as in claim 1 wherein the vehicle resin comprises an acid-solubilized synthetic polybasic vehicle resin.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein the pigmentbinder ratio is below about 1 to 1.

12. A method as in claim 10 wherein the oxide of manganese is selected from the group consisting of manganese dioxide and manganese sesquioxide.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein the pigmentbinder ratio is below about 1 to 1.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,230,162 l/l966 Gilchrist 204l81 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,298,578 6/1962 France.

HOWARD S. WILLIAMS, Primary Examiner 

